Monday 15 July 2024

Xena: Warrior Princess (1995)

The famed spin-off series to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys similarly had its makeup effects handled by both Weta Workshop (with Richard Taylor acting as makeup designer) and KNB EFX Group. 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' was handled by Weta, who sculpted a prosthetic facial appliance for Anthony Ray Parker to wear as the demon Bacchus.
Weta also designed prosthetics once more for Anthony Ray Parker to wear as the demon Krafstar in 'The Deliverer'.
KNB handled the realization of the 'Destroyer' demon in 'A Family Affair' was realized as a performer in a sculpted bodysuit, with the head mask fitted with animatronics allowing it to emote; the performer also was wearing backward-bent leg extensions in order to tower over the other actors.
Demon prosthetic appliances were made by KNB once again for both Lucy Lawless and Hudson Leick in 'Fallen Angel', worn with prop wings as well.
KNB also realized another demon prosthetic in 'The Haunting of Amphipolis', with a greyish facial appliance and paintjob worn by Anthony Ray Parker as the demon Mephistopheles.
Several undead ghoul prosthetics were also made for the brief sequence where Gabrielle faces them off underwater.
More demon prosthetics were applied on Alex Mendoza as the demon Lucifer in 'Heart of Darkness', with similar prop wings as the ones seen in 'Fallen Angel'.
The episodes 'The Rheingold' and 'The Ring', being homages to Germanic legends, of course had their own take on Grendel, the monster of the poem Beowulf. Grindl (the Grendel homage) is a tree-like creatures realized as performers in elaborate bodysuits, with a head on top of a long neck controlled by the performer inside.
Just like how how Grendel had a monstrous mother, so too is Grindl is the son of Grinhilda, whose true form was realized as a very similar bodysuit distingushed by having 'hair' of roots.

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